Studies inopportune

[DM Bob]

Enemy's Slumber, 5th of Fortuary - Evening, the day after the Messenger's Exodus

Current Location: - New Kurn

Permissions to look for spells is granted, but you find a snag in these studies. Gruv, who normally could guide one to such works, is immersed in the journals that you brought back from the ruins. When pressed, he reveals that his focus is involved and asks for you to leave him be until he finishes reading the ancient diaries. At the beginning of the next day, you can expect the first two books to be open to read.

Chat'cho finds himself wandering and stops to listen to a chorus of bird men and women singing, clicking and scratching an upbeat work tune.

It is easier to learn more of Giustenal, at least it's general location. To the north and east of stone city of Nibenay, still some 80 plus miles away... this ruined city is actually closer in location to a hive of thieves and pirates known as Cromlin. Cromlin is still a bit to the west of Giustenal, a couple days travel on foot. Quila has heard rumor that Giustenal was a City State once long ago and was at it's height in the Green Age. Evidence of it's destruction has been pretty much erased from the annals of history.

As 'Muiko manages to locate a spell of fire shield, the first successful find of what he was looking for, low trembles of the earth are felt. Horns, bells and chimes sound an alert as the rumbling gets louder and closer, much like a fleet of garbage trucks on the day after a holiday.

[Attilius]

Attilius looks wide eyed at the blacksmith he's helping out, then grabs his armor and begins putting it on. Once done he'll run towards the sounds of the horns, weapon and shield in hands.

[AthasianLaborer]

[Elven: “Figures”] ‘Muiko sighs as he slips the volume containing Fire Shield into his portfolio and ‘activates his Nexus’.

Psionic Mimicry rolled a 6 needing under a 17
Somatic Concealment rolled a 13 needing under a 15
Casts Invisibility

<Ping Niachi “What's all the commotion? Do you see anything? We should regroup before investigating. Are you with Quila? I'll ping her too-- >

<Ping Quila “What is that? Tell me if you know! Let's meet up before finding out, are you with Niachi? I am invisible, tell me where you are and I will be there as quickly as possible”>

‘Muiko will quickly and quietly make his way to where Quila is, assuming that Niachi and Skrye are both with her.

[Niachi]

Niachi accepts the Naps. Left to his own devices after Gruv shoos him away, he dives into the stacks for Dispel Magic, coming up empty (90% -fail)

Bells and horns. Shit.

<Ping from 'Muiko:  “What's all the commotion? Do you see anything? We should regroup before investigating. Are you with Quila? I'll ping her too-- >

Since he does not have the Contact proficiency, he hears but cannot reply other than the mental trace of excitement for violence.

He runs out of the library to the source of the noise, stopping at a discrete place to cast Invisibility and Cat's Grace on himself.

Invisibility: Duration 24 hours or until he attacks.
Cat's Grace: Duration 8 hours, Dex 22: +4 reaction adj, +4 missile AT, -5 AC bonus: total AC -2

[Coden Rokos (Jesse H.)]

Coden's eyes snap open from his afternoon meditative practice. The world-fundaments that he'd been scrying scatter into imperceptability.

"Some clairsentient. Didn't see that coming."

He unfolds and rises to see what the commotion is about.

[Quila Oris (John M.)]

Absorbed into a stack of material regarding Giustenal and the environing world, Quila looks up sharply when she first feels the tremors and then hears the alert. Does she recognize the contours of the alert, is it a standard response to a specific type of threat, and is it coming from within the city of New Kurn itself or from Fort Protector and thus a response to something outside of the valley.

<Ping from 'Muiko: 'Yes, Niachi is here. So is Skrye. We are at the reading table in the eastern corner of the ground floor, but Niachi is already on the move outside. I will wait just outside of the Library entrance for you. Put your hand on my shoulder if you don't want to give yourself away to let me know you are there. Or just speak in a whisper.'

To the elf casting and running away, Quila calls out:"Niachi, I will wait on 'Muiko at the entry of the Library. Let's find out what's going on."

Does the Sacred Guardian ward I have cast upon Chat'cho go off?

Quila will make haste to exit the Library, waiting on 'Muiko at the entrance steps. Once outside she will scan the horizon, and barring any really useful sensory information, she will concentrate to active her power of Clairvoyance, locating her psionic eye in the center of New Kurn some 500+ yards straight up in the sky. She will scan 360 by moving her body and head around its axis. Hopefully that will give her some visual confirmation of what's going on.

(OOC: Rolled a 5 on adjusted-for-range powerscore 18 for Clairvoyance, success, cost 5 PSP, 141/146 PSP)

[Niachi]

Once outside and passing Quila, Niachi replies

“On your left and grouping with our front line! Where’s our artist?”

He intends to find Atilius and Coden, let them know he’s 3 paces behind them.

[AthasianLaborer]

<Ping Quila "I am here now, here being to your righthand.  Let's go find out what's happening">

[DM Bob]

The sacred guardians do not go off for Chat'cho.

Quila feels watched at this point. Feel free to roll to see if you can determine the source, etc.

An alarm of this type has two parts that Quila can interpret. One is that Oronis is not here physically. The second denotes a ground attack... the direction is south? That's odd, as New Kurn is ringed by mountain peaks.

As it is dark, it is hard to see what the commotion is about, until the bird people caw out, "Worms!"

Magical light begins to pop into existence towards the southern edge of the city. Looking about the fields, you can make out many somethings tunneling through the fields. Vegetation is getting pushed about. The scope of it is quite daunting even in the limited light and point of view.

Quila however sees a bit more. Three 10 foot wide rows tear through the fertile valley earth. The furrows lead back towards the mounts and head directly for the city square. Behind and flanking these three large rows are many, at least fifty, smaller furrows. The ground shaking intensifies, the buildings rock at their very foundations.

[Deleted]

Chat'cho cocks her head to one side. She's more concerned that the nice singing stopped than whatever this hubbub is about. "What?"

[Attilius]

Dec 14, 2023 14:37:55 GMT -12 DM Bob said:

As it is dark, it is hard to see what the commotion is about, until the bird people caw out, "Worms!"

Magical light begins to pop into existence towards the southern edge of the city. Looking about the fields, you can make out many somethings tunneling through the fields. Vegetation is getting pushed about. The scope of it is quite daunting even in the limited light and point of view.

Attilius looks for a large rock outcropping, Boulder or something SOLID to climb up on to get a better vantage point.

[Skrye [AC3; 48/48HP]]

- Trying to make sense of the tremors around - 'An earthquake?' - Skrye thinks to self - "Is this normal in the area?" - asking as she moves from the library area she's with Quila, been ready to unsheath her daggers for a nearby imminent danger

[Quila Oris (John M.)]

Quila concentrates very intensely to detect where the remote viewing originates from, although given what she knows about a certain manipulative and bored-through-the-ages somebody, already has quite a good idea where she is viewed from and also by whom. (OOC: Roll 13 on 15-20 for Sensitivity to Observation - success, Power Manipulation 4 on 14 to get the Powerscore effect - success, which means she immediately determines the location of the watcher. Total cost 9 psp. 132/146 PsP.) She will also try to contest the remote viewing/disrupt it by a psychic contest.

Quila then first pings Akos <'Akos, we need to get that grimoire of Mak Thuum Ngatha out of the city at great haste and to some safe location BEHIND the lines of the worms now making course for the city center. I count three huge 10 feet wide worm tracks and behind those at least fifty smaller worm signs. I fear we've just detected what the curse of that book is, or the dangers of it being detectable.'>
Quila will also feed Akos any relevant information regarding the remote viewing/observer.

[DM Bob]

You are being watched from someone or thing from the buried city (as you guessed correctly). When Quila tries to psychically fend off the viewing, she finds no mind to contest. The scrying involved is simply not of the psionic variety.

Akos responds with a simple, <"You are closer and I am coordinating the defense; sorry to be short. If you can remove the tome and do so, you and your team are the best positioned to do so.">

Attilius takes the best high ground that he can, but in this specific area it isn't much.

You figure you have a couple short minutes to react before wiggly ground zero. You are not far from the library (except for Chat, who while not super far away might have a tad more advanced notice due to the initial aarakocra reactions).

[AthasianLaborer]

Psionic Detection failed rolled a 16 needing a 12 or less

“This is not the time to space out Quila! What are we doing? Can you contact your soldiers and have them do something? I wonder what they are here for? Think it has something to do with the creepy worm book?”